Gotham's tabloids will pounce, but this is far from bona fide bulletin-board fodder. The Patriots' lack of on-field prep is tied to the timing of Thursday night's quickly approaching AFC East showdown.

"They're the ones that clearly you have to beat," Ryan told reporters Monday, per the New York Post. "If you want to win your division, you have to beat these guys. They've won it every year since I've been here. ... If that's one of your goals, they're the ones that you're gunning for."